Giffords reacts to vandalism of her office in 2010

By
Emi Kolawole

Updated: 1/9/2011 0:35 a.m.

A staff member for former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Rebecca Mansour, responded to accusations that the image of crosshairs over Gifford's district that was posted on Palin's facebook page was not intended in to imply the sights of a weapon.

Mansour called accusations from those on the left "obscene" and "appalling," insisting that the "target list" was not intended to allude to guns. "We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights," she said during an interview with conservative talk radio host Tammy Bruce.

"We never imagined, it never occurred to us that anybody would consider it violent," she said. Rather, she said, that it was simply "crosshairs that you would see on a map."

was shot on Saturday morning outside of Tucson grocery store. A Tucson doctor said he was "very optimistic" about Giffords's condition. Condolences and developments have been coming in quickly.

The shooter was identified as Jared Loughner, who appears to have left a trail of Internet postings, including a YouTube channel with text-heavy videos addressing topics that range from currency and government to mind-control and religion.

Giffords's district office was vandalized during a rash of violence against lawmakers in March. She took the opportunity to respond in an interview with MSNBC's "The Rundown." At the time Sarah Palin's Facebook page featured a graphic with Giffords's district positioned under a gun's crosshairs. "When people do that they've got to realize there's consequences to that action," said Giffords.

"I understand this health care bill is incredibly personal," said Giffords, "but the reality is we have to focus on the policy, focus on the process. But leaders...can stand back and say, 'Woah, let's take a step back here.'"

Come on people. I am absolutely sure that Ms. Palin did not intend for anyone to be shot. I'm also sure that the Tea Party did not want anyone to be shot. This is a tragety that should bring everyone together,not be used as an opportunity to show our differences. Let us all ... liberal and conservative join together in our prayers for those that were killed and those that are injured.

I don't by any measure think that Sarah Palin *wanted* this to happen, but as for the irresponsibility of her website, this is a really lame attempt at a dodge:

"We never imagined, it never occurred to us that anybody would consider it violent," she said. Rather, she said, that it was simply "crosshairs that you would see on a map."

WTF? Just "crosshairs" that you would see on a map. Yeah, every map I look at has gun sights drawn all over them, accompanied by language below the map about "reloading". Yeah, that's your usual map aimed at a political demographic that's nuts about their guns. Every map - especially ones targeted at those kind of Americans - has those features on them.

BruceMajor's comments reflect exactly the sad state of the many who are ideologically brainwashed:

A national tragedy is not an opportunity to blame the Obama administration.

If people connected to the Tea Party feel defensive then they should ask themselves what they have said or done, but don't deny that violent rhetoric influences people - (this is not heated political speech).

You don't put a bullseye on people.

Further analysis should wait for the full investigation, and all we can do is hope for the best for the victims.

Leftovers comb the killers bio in the hopes that they can find a tea party connection­. They find he listed the "Communist Manifesto" as a favorite book.

Loughner appears to be a waiter who tried to join the military but was rejected on the drug test. A plausible hypothesis for his shooting an attractive Congresswo­man who had run a small business is ENVY. The primary motivation of all Democratic welfare statists.

Leftovers comb the killers bio in the hopes that they can find a tea party connection­. They find he listed the "Communist Manifesto" as a favorite book.

Loughner appears to be a waiter who tried to join the military but was rejected on the drug test. A plausible hypothesis for his shooting an attractive Congresswo­man who had run a small business is ENVY. The primary motivation of all Democratic welfare statists.

How very selective of you - the reporting to date indicates he listed both Marx and Hitler as favorite authors, no explanation yet of why. Even when someone has died (6 people died today), and others injured, you can't let go of your ideology -- instead jump to knee-jerk conclusions. Look in the mirror please.

Just one of his fave books was the Communist Manifesto. Another included Mein Kampf, and there were also two libertarian books.

While someone who claims to have gone to school with him says he was leftwing in 2007, his rantings are more like those of a deranged extremist libertarian.

That doesn't let the TPers off the hook however: the TPers were started by libertarians and they intersect with them. And, the "Second Amendment remedies" and the like promoted by those in the TP movement haven't exactly helped:

I was terribly saddened by the Supreme Court's decision that the 2nd Amendment applied to the rights of individuals as well as the militia. The question was brought to the Supreme Court because D.C. had banned handgun possession. Handguns are mainly for the purpose of shooting people.

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